xPonum is an iPad puzzle game in which players collect gems using a beam of energy. Game play emphasizes exploration, so that players experience mathematics as being about trying out various ideas, not just about already having the answer. At the most basic level, in the first world, players use slope and intercepts and must find points along the line, using the slider to shift the line. This level can be played in an introductory algebra class. At later levels, players explore shifts in parabolas, cubic and trigonometric functions, which are suitable as pre-calculus topics.
The goal of xPonum is to allow students to play with math so that they may discover the underlying concepts for themselves. Neuronic also developed the framework so that educational games such as xPonum can be integrated into the learning management system used at CUNY.
